



HE CITADEL OF THOUGi 

BY 

MARY EVELINE PARKHOIST 




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THE CITADEL OF THOUGHT 

BY 

Mary Eveline Parkhurst 



Published September, 1917 



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COPYRIGHT, 1917 

BY 

MARY EVELINE PARKHURST 



V. Blanche Bromlet 
LINOTYPE COMPOSITION COMPANY 
DAVENPORT, IOWA 
, Publisher 

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DEDICATED 

TO 

My Father: 

Waldo Parkhurst, 

Born at Milford, Mass. 

My Mother: 

Mrs. Lydia Emeline Russell Parkhurst, 
Born at Sodus Point, N. Y. 

My Brother: 

Milton Russell Parkhurst, 
Born at Le Claire, Iowa 



PREFACE 

The beautiful town of Le Claire, sheltered by the 
hills and washed by the waves of the Mississippi river 
was my birthplace. 

The yard surrounding our home was made a restful 
retreat by choice fruit trees, shrubbery and flowers of 
my mother's planting. 

Walking alone in this garden of beauty, watching 
the unfolding fruit and flowers, or sitting on the steps 
leading from the garden wall to the river, watching 
the fleeting clouds or bright stars reflected from the 
water; I would talk to my Creator and then I would 
talk to the trees, flowers and river; I would say, "Some 
day I will write a book and tell the beautiful thoughts 
whispered to me." 

Every breeze that sighed thru the trees or every 
wave that kissed the rocky shore was a voice speaking 
to me. Every sunbeam playing in the orchard or 
every silvery tread of a moonbeam was melody to me, 
and my heart was filled with gladness and joy as I 
walked alone dreaming and hopeful of that some day 
when I might write a book. 



PREFACE 



How I loved to be alone with God and His wonderful 
works. And then when I walked with the good people 
of the town how I loved them. They, too, were a part 
of God's creation. They were so kind and helpful and 
the most sacred spot to me on all the earth is my 
native town. There I was taught to love everybody — 
not their sins, but their souls. I said ''my book musi 
be sympathetic and radiant with hope." 

The bright rays of that ever-dawning some day har 
led me thru years of thinking and dreaming and nov 
I send "THE CITADEL OF THOUGHT" into th^ 
world trusting that its wisdom and cheer will fortify, 
inspire and brighten many lives. 

— M. E. P. 

Davenport, Iowa 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The Historic Elm ii 

Songs: 

The Brightest Gem of Earth . - . . .15 

Man's Love 16 

The Fisherman's Daughter 18 

VllSCELLANEOUS: 

The Mothers of the Race 23 

The Brave Youth 24 

A Job 25 

Life's Storms and Calms 26 

The Dreams of Youth 28 

Kindness 29 

Payday 30 

"Thou Shalt Not Kill" 31 

Life is Vanity 32 

Hatred 33 

The World's Throbbing Heart ... 34 

The Past 36 

The Closing Day 37 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Miscellaneous — Continued 

Service 38 

Old Age 39 

Thanksgiving 41 

Rum's Power 43 

That of Most Worth 45 

Work, Pull and Push 47 

Little Things 48 

A Voice 49 

My Bark 50 

Man 51 

Judge Not 51 

A Moment of Time 52 

Epigrams 53 

The Rain Drops 54 

The Mississippi River 55 

The German Nation 58 



THE CITADEL OF THOUGHT 



THE HISTORIC ELM AT LE CLAIRE, IOWA 

Whence came ye? Ye, broad sweeping elm 
Abiding in nature's realm; 
A graceful object of glory 
Whispering creation's story. 

It was seventy-five years or more 
In a calm and sweet day of yore 
A little sapling peeped from earth 
It was the first day of my birth. 

Oak and walnut trees were near-by 
Growing upward toward the sky; 
They looked at me in pure delight 
And sheltered me from human sight. 

Good men chose a steamboat landing 

Very near where I am standing 

The surveyor's searching eye 

Found me. He said, ''You must not die." 

Generous hands transplanted me 
In a line with another tree; 
But my companions, one by one, 
Passed away like the sinking sun. 

When civilization needs room 
Majestic trees must meet their doom. 
My green branches were cut away 
Then, I thought of my dying day. 
II 



THE HISTORIC ELM AT LE CLAIRE, IOWA 

But nature with a mother's care 
Healed my wounds with her skill most rare; 
My shadow measured large and round 
As it softly fell on the ground. 

Children clapping their hands in glee 
Exclaimed, *'What a wonderful tree!" 
I was an object of beauty 
Protected by civic duty. 

Then I knew my safety secure 
And thru the years I would endure. 
Scientist say that within self 
Are written laws of perfect health. 

Then it was my desire and will 
My Creator's laws to fulfill 
I'm growing round, wide and high 
As drifting years are passing by. 

My name glows on history's page 
The wonder of the present age. 
God planted me in fruitful soil 
I grew without effort or toil; 

Grew for my Creator's glory 
Whispering creation's story. 

12 



SONGS 



THE BRIGHTEST GEM OF EARTH 

The youth and the maiden must wed 
That is what the Creator said; 
When He made this green and fair earth 
And gave man his marvelous birth. 

Chorus: 

At thy feet I now throw my wealth 
With it I freely give myself; 
Love's song with the sweetest power 
Thrills my soul this very hour. 

In thy sweet and radiant face 
My fate I can lovingly trace; 
An honest heart I give to thee 
And wilt thou give the same to me? 

The brightest gem of all earth 
The gem of the most precious v/orth 
Is woman's love, true and pure, 
Thru all the ages to endure. 



15 



MAN'S LOVE 

Near the Mississippi's bank, grew an oak 
Where flowing waters o'er rugged rocks broke 
Into glowing beauty and dashing spray 
As the river rushed on a toilsome way; 
In a log cabin near the oak grown old 
Lived a fisherman brave and hunter bold 
The tender love of man for a brother 
Thrilled the depths of their souls for each other. 

Chorus: 

We are growing old, we are growing gray 
The mxoments are drifting, drifting away 
Like a fitful and sunny golden dream 
Adown life's flowing, rolling, sparkling stream; 
Some restful sweet day on the other shore, 
My brother, we will hunt and fish no more. 
Every good deed that on the earth is done 
W^ill be untold wealth at life's setting sun. 

To freely supply man's needs and man's wants 
They followed into nature's wildest haunts, 
Fish and game and fur to the rich they sold 
In the honest exchange for shining gold; 
The fisherman brave and the hunter bold 
Never forgot the hungry nor cold. 
Their life was like a sunny golden dream 
As they rocked on life's rolling sparkling stream. 

i6 



MAN S LOVE 

Children's children of grandparents will tell 
The fisherman brave and the hunter bold fell 
In fierce battle; when one wintery day 
Wild beasts sought to carry a child away. 
The battle was won; but the fisherman brave 
And hunter bold, life for another gave. 
Now their lives like a sunny golden dream 
Glide upon the eternal sparkling stream. 



17 



THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER 

Where the weeping willows grow 
And waters o'er pebbles flow 
On the Mississippi shore 
In years that have passed before; 
In a cabin trim and neat 
In quiet sheltered retreat 
At the edge of the water 
Lived a fisherman's daughter. 

Chorus: 

Is there a sailor for me 
Out upon the wide blue sea? 
Hasten on, drops of water 
Tell the fisherman's daughter; 
Shadows o'er my waiting soul 
In sorrow and sadness roll 
I'm growing old, growing gray 
Since my lover went away. 

Where the weeping willows grow 
And waters o'er pebbles flow 
Waiting the flight of years 
Thru the mist of falling tears 
At the edge of the water 
The fisherman's fair daughter 
Sits and sings, low, sweet and clear 
Waiting a message to hear. 
i8 



THE FISHERMAN S DAUGHTER 

Hidden beneath the ocean's wave 
Is the gallant sailor's grave; 
To the fisherman's daughter 
Above the surging water 
A message tender and sweet 
Winds and waves could not repeat; 
And silence was unbroken 
And a message unspoken. 



19 



MISCELLANEOUS 



THE MOTHERS OF THE RACE 

The shadows were upon her face 
Her eyes were tearless and dull, 
She seemed as one in a dream 
From which she could not awake; 
She was one of the mothers 
Of the human race. 

Tvv'o sons kissed her at evening tide 

And went into the battle's red heat; 

"Mother," they said, "we willingly give our Hvcs; 

You give your brave sons 

It's service and sacrifice 

For our country's sake." 

After the battle fierce and long 
No sons came back to meet her 
No cheering voice greeted her 
Her heart was crushed and bleeding; 
Then, the shadows fell upon her face 
Her eyes were tearless and dull. 
She seemed as one in a dream 
From which she could not awake. 

The sufferings and mistakes of the race 

Fall heavily upon the mothers. 

Yet, the fire of patriotism ever burns 

At the altar of mother's love and devotion 

23 



THE MOTHERS OF THE RACE 

She giyes thru suffering and sacrifice 
Her sons; earth's most costly gifts. 
And a country's glory and protection 
Are the mothers of the human race. 



THE BRAVE YOUTH 

All honor and glory to the brave youth 

Who in the purity and strength of manhood 

Without a murmur, faces death 

In air or on sea or battle field 

For his country's glory and protection. 

The best in a nation's life 

Is quickly aroused 

When the war-cry sounds loud and clear; 

And the hour of need 

Is the hour of struggle 

And the hour of sacrifice 

Before the dawn of victory and safety. 



ANGEL'S FOOTSTEPS 

Angel's footsteps we can never trace 
If we willfully turn from God's face. 



24 



A JOB 

A most precious boon; 
Is plenty of room 
In the busy street 
For my plodding feet. 

A most precious gift 
And a mighty lift; 
To have sturdy health 
To earn daily wealth. 

The sweetest of all 
That comes at my call; 
Is a job most sure 
The dimes to secure. 

It's the idle man 
Disgraces his clan; 
Working with a smile 
Makes our life worth while. 



GOD'S POWER 

Every leaf, tree and flower 
Speaks of God's wonderful power 
At the great creative hour. 



25 



LIFE'S STORMS AND CALMS 

The day was glorious and bright 
Without a fleeting cloud in sight: 
The sun at the noontide hour 
Poured forth with radiant power 
Scorching and bleaching mother earth 
Like the fervent heat at her birth; 
Cattle and sheep pantingly lay 
Awaiting the close of the day 
When nightfall's quiet loving sweep 
Rocks mother earth to peaceful sleep; 
And quiet and rest calmly lay 
In the torrid tread of the day. 

Such are many lives on this earth 
Turmoil and discontent from birth. 

The scorching heat of daily life; 
The bitter, biting, cruel strife; 
The quick temper, the flashing eyes; 
The cutting retort that defies; 
Gives shattered nerves and broken wil 
That seeks to blight, destroy and kill 
Every purpose sublime and great 
That at all struggling lives await 
For Ambition's keen searching sight 
To follow Wisdom's glowing light. 



26 



LIFE S STORMS AND CALMS 

Listen, mortal contending man, 
Anchor your soul within the calm; 
Life like the summer day may run 
From the dawn to the sinking sun 
With cloudless sky aglow with hope 
Calmly measuring life's broad scope; 
Selfishness within the soul dies 
When mian gladly makes sacrifice; 
And at Duty's altar lays all 
At a fellow-man's pleading call. 



GOOD DEEDS 

The dewdrop sparkled in the morning light 
It was distilled under the shades of night; 
So deeds well done in the quiet hour 
Glow with radiant beauty and power 
In Eternity's brightly dawning day 
After the dark night of life drifts away. 



27 



THE DREAMS OF YOUTH 

The bright dreams of our youth 
Are clothed in rosy hue 
And sparkle as brightly 
As early morning dew. 

As swiftly passing years 
Drift from youth to old age 
And, then, in Hfe's dedine 
We read the written page; 

Of action heroic 
And the victories won 
From rising and sinking 
Of our life's glowing sun. 

The dreams of youth are traced 
Like a silvery thread 
Thru all the winding paths 
Of our life that we tread. 

As memory gives back 
The richly treasured store 
And youth and old age meet 
And dream them o'er and o'er. 



28 



KINDNESS 

A touch of kindness we will find 

In this bustling world of mankind. 

An unkind blow may be given 

By the keenest anger riven; 

A bitter word with a sharp edge 

May pierce to the soul like a wedge. 

Hope drooping, lies listless and sad 

Thinking the world cruel and mad. 

In crime there is a heaving sigh 

The keen critic cannot deny; 

The soul that commits crimie to-day 

Would gladly sweep that crime away 

Beyond thought and memory keen 

Into a dark realm unseen. 

And kindness walks with gentle tread 

Where human hearts have sinned and bled. 



HONESTY 

Honesty is a golden and secure road 
Where responsibility leaves a heavy load. 



29 



PAYDAY 

Hard knocks and a steady pull 
Make our lives complete and full; 
And the moments ring with cheer 
When payday comes tripping near. 

The man who is not a shirk 
And is cheerful at his work 
Sees many a shining ray 
At the bright dawn of payday. 

To m.other who toils for bread 
And by the world's bounty fed 
Payday is a blessed boon 
And never will come too soon. 

The youth with muscle and brain 
Seeking dizzy heights to gain 
Payday has magic power 
To cheer him on hour by hour. 

Payday with riches most rare 
Comes to those who do and dare 
Not always in shining gold 
But in values never told. 



30 



"THOU SHALT NOT KILL" 

'Thou shalt not kill," down the ages 
Have loudly proclaimed seers and sages 
On History's written pages. 

"Thou shalt not kill," a brother man 
Who is created by God's plan 
Of your own or a neighbor's clan. 

"Thou shalt not kill" in vengeful ire 
To please satanic desire 
When the angry soul is on fire. 

"Thou shalt not kill" in battle's heat 
Where angels of peace find defeat 
And sad stories of war repeat. 

"Thou shalt not kill." Ye, warriors proud 
Won ye crown and shout of the crowd 
Except weaving the soldier's shroud? 

Oh mortal man! Vengance will fall 
At the Creator's sovereign call 
And give just reckoning to all, 

If, justice and eternal right 
Are trampled beneath boasted might 
In a sad and blood-guilty fight. 
31 



LIFE IS VANITY 

Someone whispers to me 

Life all is vanity; 

It flees as a summer cloud 

Life, each day weaves its own shroud. 

Someone whispers to me 
Life all is vanity; 
If our feet are, only, shod 
For the home beneath the sod. 

Someone whispers to me 
Life all is vanity; 
Unless a life good and pure 
Bids us thru time to endure. 

Someone whispers to me 
Life all is vanity; 
Unless we anchor our souls 
Where Eternity's tide rolls. 

Someone whispers to me 
Life all is vanity; 
Unless we look thru life's night 
Into Heaven's glowing light. 

Someone whispers to me 
Life all is vanity; 
Life is a school of discipline 
Teaching of the home without sin. 
32 



THE SHOALS 

Many voyagers sailing on life's stbrmy blue seas 
Have been wrecked on the shoals of indolende and ease. 



HATRED 

I searched into ancient lore 
I knocked at Wisdom's door 
I studied the human face 
Of every tribe and race; 
I weighed action keen and rude 
Without glow of gratitude; 
Then I asked a question plain 
The deepest knowledge to gain. 
Why races hate each other 
Like a jealous, mad brother? 
**Satan is playing his part 
In the wicked human heart." 
The angel of Mercy said 
As from the Bible he read. 



INDUSTRY 

Industry may be a royal road 
Leading to Prosperity's abode. 



33 



THE WORLD'S THROBBING HEART 

Some people are sighing 
Some people are crying 
Some people are dying. 

Many hearts are aching 
And with sorrow quaking 
And are nearly breaking. 

Life's mill ever grinds low 
Sifting out bitter woe 
Alike to friend and foe. 

The clouds gather at night 
Hiding the starry light 
From the weary, dull sight. 

Time's swift feet onward go 
Not tarrying to know 
The deepest notes of woe. 

Some will sing sweetest songs 
Knowing no ills nor wrongs 
Cheering the busy throngs. 

Some earthly paths have trod 
With sandals of peace shod 
Ever walking with God. 
34 



THE WORLD S THROBBING HEART 

Some live a life serene 
Sustained by the unseen 
And choicest treasures glean. 

Oh, frail and erring man! 
Of a most sinful clan 
Listen to this wise plan; 

Is life a desert drear 
Without hope, without cheer 
While mortals tarry here? 

'Tis not the world around 
That gives the doleful sound 
In human hearts that resound, 

'Tis within self that lay 
Joys that never decay 
Or sins that mar the day. 

If men were great and good 
And always understood 
The needs of brotherhood; 

A great and sublime age 
Would write History*s page 
In wisdom of the sage. 

35 



THE PAST 

The past has gone in rapid flight 
In the wake of day and of night; 
The shadows and sunshine had play 
In each fleeting and passing day; 
So grief, toil, anxiety and care 
Crushed many a soul in despair. 
Many drank in careless leisure 
From the sparkling cup of pleasure. 

"Gone forever," moans from the past 
Like a dying wintery blast; 
We do not hear the crushing tread 
Nor the sighing of hearts that bled. 
In Memory's castle most fair 
A soothing radiance dwells there; 
For choice pictures are on the wall 
That come from the past at our call. 



GOD'S SMILE 

I thought when a little child 
If the sun shone; God smiled. 



36 



THE CLOSING DAY 

I'm dreaming of days of yore 
With their golden treasured store 
When youth in beauty and power 
Enjoyed each passing hour. 

Days of rest and quiet have come 
And Ufe's fierce battle has been won; 
The glow of the sunset most fair 
Is more radiant and more rare 
Than youth's earliest morning bright 
Or the glare of the midday fight. 



37 



SERVICE 

It's busy people that keep the race 
In an incessant commercial pace; 
Hunting after the dollars and dimes 
In every country and all climes. 

Great merchant ships sail the ocean wide 
In an impatient race side by side; 
To secure from every foreign shore 
Food and clothing to bring to our door. 

Men dig into the caverns of the earth 
To find mines of richness and worth; 
That their coffers may with leap and bound 
Be filled with treasures from the ground. 

Men toil from dawn to the evening hour 
Thinking gaining wealth is gaining power; 
That they may climb the summit of fame 
And quickly carve an undying name. 

Oh, man! Pause at the threshold of the day 
Calmly consider life's winding way; 
Greed, gain, and selfish worldly power 
Is buried at the dying hour. 

That which will last and outshine the sun 
As your life's race you cautiously run; 
Is service for ''Humanity's good," 
That life's duties may be understood. 

38 



OLD AGE 

In the fading of the year 
The leaf is yellow and sear; 
The golden hues and the tints 
Give the most suggestive hints 
Summer is passing away 
Before the autumnal day. 

So life with the summer bright 
Drifts into the autumn's light; 
Life's radiant and rare day 
Is gently gliding away 
With its glowing, sinking sun 
Suggesting life's work is done. 

Each duty on earth well done 
Is a gem honestly won. 
Moments of righteous living 
And of unselfish giving 
Is the untold wealth in store 
When we reach the other shore. 

Old age is the harvest day 
When the good Master gives pay 
In expectation most keen 
Of the coming world unseen, 
And old age joyfully waits 
For the open, pearly gates. 
39 



OLD AGE 



Upon time's gleaming shore 
To be guided safely o'er 
The tide silent and drifting 
As clouds of life are lifting 
In the after glow of day 
Joyously passing away. 



WOMAN 

To be mother, wife, daughter and sister 

Is the fourfold earthly relation 

Of noble womanhood; 

Then the circle of her life is complete. 



MAN 

God gave man physical strength 

And endurance; 

When he loves and protects the weaker 

He is Godlike and lovable, 

The noblest of all God's creation. 



40 



THANKSGIVING 



**I am thankful," he said as he looked around 

With gratitude reverential and profound 

Upon his cheerful and happy children three 

Thru their parents harmonious decree 

To grow into Wisdom's clear, unerring ways 

A dehght in the parents declining days; 

And he gave each a loving fatherly kiss 

As he thought upon his peaceful home of bliss. 

"I am thankful," he said smiling at his wife 
His helpmeet in life's bitter and eager strife; 
"I carefully read in Proverbs Thirty-one 
What a virtuous and wise woman had done. 
And I hunted for the same measurement true 
When on the college ground I quickly found you; 
You were professor of domestic science 
Before our matrimonial alliance. 

"You knew how to build and furnish a home 
From the chimney-top to the foundation stone. 
You said that a woman's life should ever be 
Given to bring the world into harmony 
With lofty influence of civic beauty 
And potent demands of domestic duty. 
And that science was, only, a deeper view 
Of God's laws universal and ever true. 



41 



THANKSGIVING 

"You were waiting for a good husband like me 

To this you gladly and smilingly agree. 

In manual training and disciplined thought 

My ready hand and willing brain wrought; 

And toil, strict economy and the truth 

Has been my heritage from earliest youth. 

And when home is built on love and common-sense 

Then it will yield an abiding recompense. 

"And when woman with thought keen and tender 
Will most wisely and patiently remember 
If life's rugged, winding road she treads alone 
It is filled with many a thorn and sharp stone. 
Man and woman kindly helping each other 
May reclaim the fallen sister and brother; 
Then humanity will be taught new lessons 
And enjoy the Creator's greatest blessings." 
And he gave his patient wife a loving kiss 
As he pondered on his peaceful home of bliss. 

A. D. 1900 

CLOUDS 

The brightest stars may be hidden from sight 
By the dense darkness of a cloudy night; 
So many choice blessings rich, rare and free 
By clouds of sin may be hidden from thee. 

42 



RUM'S POWER 

Four boys, pure as morning dew 
To early manhood quickly grew. 
The arena of business life 
With its ceaseless toil and its strife 
They entered. A throb of delight 
A spirit of strength and of might 
Actuated their mind and heart 
As they each chose a thrilling part 
In their hurried race for fame 
And unsullied and honest gain. 

Fancy's youthful and bright dream broke 
They soon to a stern fact awoke; 
Oppression and the wrong unite 
Ever against freedom and right 
Unjust power and sordid greed 
Is man's selfish and erring creed. 
Each found in life's shining pathway 
Temptation leading them astray. 
To one a rich syndicate large 
Was given to his care and charge. 

He distilled liquor to the shame 
Of his race and family name. 
Another one sold foaming beer 
Robbing homes of joyful cheer. 
The third in legislative hall 
At the keen liquor dealer's call 
43 



RUM S POWER 

To gain the political goal 
Bartered his purity of soul. 
The fourth in realms of thought 
Most glowing achievements wrought. 

And upward to an honest fame 
Ascended his popular name. 
He too, like his youthful friends three 
Was a victim to Rum's decree; 
In a dishonored drunkard's grave 
He sleeps, a poor deluded slave. 
Now voters, please tell if you can 
Who of the four was a free m.an? 
Two to gain the glittering gold 
Self to Satan unwisely sold. 

The third was a sly cunning knave 
The fourth was a deluded slave. 
Does not the Serpent of the Still 
Obey the Devil's stubborn will 
And find at fair Columbia's feet 
A safe and sheltered retreat? 
Voters, your God calls from on high 
Justice sends forth a wailing cry; 
Let your freedom have her sway 
Because you vote as you pray. 

A. D. 1900 
44 



THAT OF MOST WORTH 

An angel silently glided to earth 

To weigh that of the most value and worth; 

First he weighed the rainbow's tint and hue 

And then the sparkling, early morning dew 

The little drops of falling rain 

The golden and ripening grain 

The green grass creeping upon the hillside 

And drops of water on the rolling tide; 

Each one came at his loving bid and call 

And he smilingly weighed one and all. 

The angel went into the busy street 

Where the hurried men with men daily meet; 

He weighed care and toil, the sigh and the tear 

And the soul troubled with anguish and fear 

The bright gems of the rich and of the fair 

That pride and pomp and power ever wear. 

He searched for the coffers of shining gold 

For which man's life o'er and o'er has been sold; 

The angel turned away with a face sad 

There was naught in the street to make him glad. 

Then he saw a man of wealth and power 
Attuned to the burning thought of the hour 
Gently whisper into the waiting ear 
Of a suffering mortal standing near; 



45 



THAT OF MOST WORTH 

The angel listened "I love every man 
Of whatever tribe or whatever clan 
What I measure to others you can see 
Comes back in a double measure to me 
Sympathy for a neighbor and friend 
Is untold wealth to thee I gladly lend." 
Yes, sympathy that is of the most worth 
In all this beautiful and busy earth; 
It, only, wears the glitter and the glow 
Most glorious in the realm here below. 

And the angel softly touched his harp of gold 
And the melody back to Heaven rolled. 



GOD 

The greatest theme for lofty 

Speculation; 

The greatest theme to inspire 

Adoration; 

The greatest theme for restful 

Meditation; 

Is God. 



1 



46 



WORK, PULL AND PUSH 

Work, work, work 

Do not shirk; 

Life is too eager a race 

Not to keep in a hurried pace. 

Pull, pull, pull 

Till life is full; 

Of brave action and of worth 

From the glad day of your birth. 

Push, push, push 
At the flaming bush; 
You*ll find like Moses of old 
A message better than gold. 

Work, push, pull every day 
Get and give all that you may; 
The reward honestly won 
Will come when life's work is done. 



A DREAM 

A dream of youth may be a persuasive power 
Directing mature action at a critical hour. 



47 



LITTLE THINGS 

It's little things day by day 
That yield full and ample pay 
In this life's shining pathway 

It's the little things done well 
That in the great count will tell 
And fears forever dispel. 

It's little things at the right time 
Will surely coin the nimble dime 
And give riches in any clime. 

It's little acts gentle and kind 
Oiling the ceaseless daily grind 
That will give joy and peace of mind. 

It's little steps to the castle of fame 
Where a glorious entrance you may claim 
If you have chiseled out a worthy name. 

CULTURE 

A pure heart actuated 
By sweet charity divine 
Is culture, without alloy, 
Most needed by all mankind. 

48 



A VOICE 

I hear a voice 

In the still and calm of night; 
It bids me make a choice 
Between the evil and right. 

I hear a voice 

Above the noise of the street; 

It bids me make a choice 

When erring men with men meet. 

I hear a voice 

Where life's ceaseless surges roll; 
It bids me make a choice 
For the welfare of my soul. 

"What is that voice 

In a clear melodious note 

Bids me make a choice?" 

''God speaking," the angel wrote. 



MELODY 

The sweetest melody of all earth 
Is a little child's laughter and mirth. 



49 



MY BARK 

My little bark on the billows rock 
The passing storm with a sudden shock 
My courage and my bravery mock. 

So our life is like the ocean wide 
Whenever sorrows and ills betide 
Helplessly on the billows we ride. 

Our pilot will guide us safely o'er 
The restless tide and the breaker's roar 
To the safe and eternal shore. 

If by faith we see the guiding hand 
That wisely rules o'er sea and o'er land 
Gently pointing to the golden strand. 



ADVERSE WINDS 

The winds of adversity 

May wisely and kindly be 

The Heavenly Father's plan 

In dealing with erring man; 

To blow the chaff from the wheat 

And make life clean and complete. 



50 



MAN 

It was a thought, marvelous and great 

When God wisely planned man to create; 

To obey, to think, to act, to hope 

In eternity's enduring scope. 

With thought ever clear and action pure 

Thru an endless time to endure; 

As man's soul to the Creator's will 

Is linked in power and wisdom; till 

He Godlike courageous and brave 

A glittering highway he may pave 

Thru this life's stern and winding pathway 

To a victorious, joyful day; 

And scarred and masterful, he may stand 

Peer of any in his native land. 

JUDGE NOT 

Judge not an erring brother 
By the life of another. 
Eyes are ever keen and sharp 
While acting the critics part; 
Stop, and think, and slowly trace 
The evil in your own face. 
With charity sweet and kind 
Goodness in thy brother find. 
And with joy and patience sip 
From the cup of true friendship. 
51 



A MOMENT OF TIME 

A moment of time quickly onward goes 
Bringing to some joys, to others woes. 
It freely gives and takes without measure 
At its own selfish choice and sweet pleasure. 
It has hoarded wealth of silver and gold 
Opportunity and pleasure untold; 
Which will fall in its hurried and swift flight 
And will leave one man in a helpless plight 
And to a waiting and watching brother 
Give victory denied to the other. 

Oh time! Thou will not hear a pleading voice 
Thou, will not tarry at man's dearest choice; 
Man does not know the strange freaks of thy will 
Nor how time grinds patiently at the mill 
Of fate; teaching each man upon the earth 
That each moment has its value and worth. 

The troubled soul that feels the galling lash 

And with enduring power meets the clash 

Of unexpected events of this life 

In the hurried rush and fitful strife; 

Will wear a crown that this life is weaving 

As each man in action is achieving 

Something, that is worth thought and is worth power 

In life's most trying and testing hour. 



52 



A SAFEGUARD 

Perpetuity and continuity give womankind 

An abiding force of character; 

Woman moves with stately grace 

Worthy of herself 

Thru the ages of the world's history 

The mother, the safeguard of the human race. 

Her mission is to serve 

In any sphere of activity 

Wherever human sufferings and needs are known 

Her keen thought and mother's heart 

Make her a heroine under suffering and service; 

And the halo and glory of sacrifice crowns woman. 



HAPPINESS 

Happiness is a gem of rare beauty 
Found, only, in the clear stream of duty. 



LIBERTY 

Liberty, only, to do the right 

Is Freedom's supreme glory and might. 



53 



THE RAINDROPS 

Little drops of falling rain 
Tripping down the window pane 
Giving to the drooping leaf 
A needed and sweet relief; 
Watering our mother earth 
Since the day of early birth; 
Whisper to us precious rain 
Since to our earth you came 
Your mission to fulfill 
And to do the Master's will 
"Is cloudland so far away 
A good place in which to stay? 
And why did you ever roam 
So far from your lofty home?" 

"If I did not come to earth 
You would never know my worth; 
In my service here below 
I find my beauty and glow." 
The raindrop smilingly said 
Following the sunbeam's tread. 
And wore robes of mellow hue 
The purple, violet and blue. 
While the orange and the red 
Wove a bright crown for its head; 
It smiled from the rainbow bright 
A marvel to human sight. 
54 



THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 

Majestic river flowing to the sea 
Your dearest secrets you never told me. 
When a child I walked your pebbly shore 
I told you my cherished dreams o'er and o'er. 
You never tarried in your restless sweep 
To tell the dark deeds of your waters deep. 
Many brave and wise explorers have said 
The veil of mystery hangs over your head. 

Undisturbed in your wildest career 
Onward you flowed without caution or fear; 
You leaped from hilltops to valleys below 
You crept underneath ice and over snow; 
Whirlpools and rapids foamed at your feet 
And sparkled and danced in hasty retreat 
While your clear waters over the rocks broke 
The rare beauty of the rainbow awoke. 

Upon your banks in the wilderness drear 

Lived the elk, white bear, buff'alo and deer; 

Monstrous fish sported in your waters blue 

While rare plants and choice fruits on your banks grew; 

The pine, oak, birch, poplar and elm 

Awoke to life in your ancient realm. 

Everywhere life was teeming and aglow 

Pulsating and throbbing with your onward flow. 



55 



THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 

Grandeur of beauty in nature's estate 

Age upon age, must have been your playmate. 

The Indian came paddling his canoe 

In peace and war he made a friend of you; 

A bountiful feast before him you spread 

On fish, game, and fruit he fed. 

Civilized man did not tarry nor wait 

To divert the red man's impending fate. 

To possess the majestic flowing stream 

Was the white man's most selfish, golden dream. 

To gain sordid wealth and glittering fame 

To you, majestic river he laid claim. 

Your freedom and buoyancy and joy 

To civilization a mere toy 

Was lost. A nation bade you serve and wait 

While commerce stood knocking at your gate. 

And the cities cut your forests away 
Engineers wisely held your waves at bay 
And a channel deep has since been your pride 
As commerce thru your waters glide. 
Beautiful, cruel river, broad and deep 
Many lives you have rocked in death's cold sleep 
Neither moan nor sigh fell from your waves 
As your victims sank to watery graves; 



56 



THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 

Onward in peace, light hearted and gay 
They merrily glided on their way. 

Your varied moods under the sunlight's glow 
As you seek for the Gulf of Mexico 
Give you a charm, a beauty and a grace 
That the keen human eye delights to trace; 
You lie so peaceful and quiet and still 
In slumbering repose, sweet and tranquil; 
Then the dark clouds gather in the blue sky 
A battle between wind and waves is nigh; 
The artillery of the storm sounded 
And the mad wind from its lair bounded 
Lashing your waves in its fury, it fled. 
You rolled whitecapped and laughing in its tread. 
A rich inheritance belongs to you; 
Gratitude to your source is ever due 
For giving you volume, worth and power 
A never-ceasing supply, hour by hour. 
Majestic, beautiful and graceful stream 
I now catch a radiant future gleam 
Of your usefulness and power and sway 
As coming ages swiftly pass away. 
Nations of the earth will rise and will fall 
You will obey their bidding and their call; 
To serve, is your mission great and sublime 
While you abide under the sweep of time. 

57 



THE GERMAN NATION 

You were of the Aryan race 

History can clearly trace; 

You made the Romans quake and fear 

When they thought you were drawing near. 

You were large in physical size — 

Barbarians v/ith fierce blue eyes. 

Your women kept at your side 

As you roamed o'er the country wide. 

With cheers and shouts and a war song, 

Courageously they marched along. 

A priestess upon the altar laid 
Human victims; a debt to be paid 
For sin, to appease an angry God 
As thru the dense wilderness you trod. 
There was fighting blood in your veins 
As you made known your claims; 
You demanded territory 
Where your tribes in safety might stay. 
For eighteen centuries they say 
Your great and good men sought a way 
To bring your tribes into peace 
And from bitter war find release; 
And give freedom to every man 
Who was born in the ''fodder" land. 



58 



THE GERMAN NATION 

On history you left your mark — 
Your footsteps were heavy and dark; 
Six hundred years with Roman power 
You fought till her dying hour; 
Your wars left you in sorry plight — 
You found nothing to do but fight. 
Your own tribes could not agree — 
Too many wished to rule, you see; 
You were the wonder of the race 
As you swung into your place 
Into an united nation 
Cemented by blood relation. 

When Bismarck with an iron hand 
Brought trained soldiers to his command, 
Military rule was your goal; 
For it, you gave freedom of soul. 
Since the year eighteen-forty-nine 
You have been coming into line 
With other nations of the earth — 
Making known your value and worth. 
Prosperity's generous hand 
Scattered blessings o'er your land, 
But your ancient habit to rule, 
Taught in your military school, 
Gave to you boasted pride and force 
And war seemed to be your only course. 
59 



THE GERMAN NATION 

You seek territory today 

As in ages long passed away. 

Thru the fighting blood in your veins 

You proudly demand unjust claims. 

Proud tyrannical Germany! 

The good people know your dark evil way 

To bring terror to the nations 

And break their peaceful relations; 

To bring the world to your feet 

Through your tricks and cunning deceit. 

Freedom has sent forth her clear voice 
Bidding nations to make a choice. 
Between oppression and stern might 
Or freedom and abiding right. 
The rich blood of your nation's dead 
By which this sad war has been fed 
Sends forth a bitter moaning wail 
Asking that justice may prevail. 
Human suffering in dismay 
Scoffs at your lack of charity 
While stern vengeance is crouching nigh 
The German nation to defy. 

A nation's character must be 
Shaped by the rules of integrity. 



60 



THE GERMAN NATION 

Her words in truth must be spoken 
And ever remain unbroken. 
Thou proud and boastful Germany! 
You are seeking for victory? 
Victory to abide thru time 
Is a heroic stroke sublime. 

Listen to a prophetic voice 

And make a rich and rare choice; 

Let oppression's yoke be broken 

And glad words of freedom spoken; 

Let freedom's banner be unfurled 

O'er your own land and the wide world. 

Then Germany will proudly rise 

Thru suffering and sacrifice, 

A free and wiser nation, 

Cherishing peaceful relation 

With all her neighbors far and near. 

Dispelling jealousy and fear. 

Regenerated Germany! 

Freedom is your victory. 



July i8, 1917. 



61 



